Dear Stranger (Novella)

By Elise K. Ackers

A beautiful love letter to the most troublesome of holidays...

Soft–hearted Reese Ahearn is single for Valentine's Day. Again. But that's not going to stop her from spreading the holiday's sentiment on the streets of Melbourne with short, sweet, anonymous love letters, left for strangers to find.

The last thing she expects, however, is a reply…

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
• Release date: Jan 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9780857991249

Elise K. Ackers

Elise K. Ackers is a freelance editor and award winning fiction author of contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and young adult fiction. Elise has completed undergraduate studies in Psychology and Communications, and post-graduate studies in Professional Publication and Editing. She's been writing since she could hold a crayon and telling stories all her life. She's a magnet for unusual accidents, a laser tag enthusiast, and an animal adoption advocate. Elise travels wherever she can, whenever she can. Website: https://www.elisekackers.net/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Elise-K-Ackers/145929782088997 Twitter: https://twitter.com/EliseKAckers Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elisekackers/      

Book preview

Dear Stranger

Elise K. Ackers

Dear Stranger

Elise K. Ackers

A beautiful love letter to the most troublesome of holidays...

Soft-hearted Reese Ahearn is single for Valentine’ Day. Again. But that’s not going to stop her from spreading the holiday’s sentiment on the streets of Melbourne with short, sweet, anonymous love letters, left for strangers to find.

The last thing she expects, however, is a reply...

About the Author

Elise K. Ackers is a magnet for unusual accidents, a frequent world traveller and an enthusiastic couch commentator. She writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense and new adult, lives in Melbourne, Australia and – like Reese – has written many love letters to strangers.

Acknowledgements

An enormous thank you to my parents — you’re such incredible people. Thanks also to Harlequin’s Escape Publishing team, namely Managing Editor Kate Cuthbert; to my fellow authors, who are so supportive and generous with their time; and to those few I share my drafts with — for not laughing too hard.

To all you strangers out there

Contents

About the Author

Acknowledgements

Chapter One

Bestselling Titles by Escape Publishing…

Chapter One

Summer in Melbourne had called in sick. Winter had stepped in like a bad-tempered substitute teacher, unexpected and impatient, and shaken up the program. Reese Ahearn wished things were different. If there was ever a day that should burn gold with sunshine, it was this day. Now was not the time for the rain and the grey — not when there were so many fragile hearts out there.

The recent downpour had darkened the concrete footpaths, the sky was bruised with a building storm, and the wind that rolled between the buildings was cold and obnoxious. Reese saw echoes of this in the hunched shoulders and tight lips